I’ll start by saying that theology is not something I do well. That is not even a proper way of wording it, but theology and I are not best friends, and studying it is somewhat of a task for me. I know there is a fine line on how much emphasis one places on theology because, at its best it is only man’s understanding of scripture, and at its worst, it is completely marred by sin and seen through temporal eyes. Obviously, any understanding we take from scripture is seen through our own eyes, but when I am studying scripture, I find myself trying to look at it through simple eyes, having the faith of a child while still seeking the maturity of a seasoned believer. I think that is a difficult line to walk and I think that is where we sometimes get lost in our own understanding.
Whether that made sense or not, I guess what I am trying to say is I think this generation of Christians is way too into following man than following God. I respect so many around me that seek the deeper things of God through the writings and teachings of man, and I think there is SO much to learn from these gifted pastors of our day. I thank God for giving us people in this world with the spiritual gifts of teaching, knowledge, and pastoring, because I fail in those areas, and sometimes I need help to understand difficult parts of the Bible. I just think we have become entirely too reliant upon others’ understanding of Scripture and have abandoned the study of the Word for ourselves. We too often forget that it is our very own Father who wants to teach us through the pages of His scripture, who wants us to come to Him with questions and prayer for wisdom or understanding. I absolutely believe that God can provide wisdom and understanding through others, I just think we as a body of believers need to be more diligent and intentional about asking our Father before we ask anyone in this world. When God tells us to seek wisdom, as He is the source of wisdom, I believe with all my heart that He intended for us to ask for it from Him directly.
Secondly, I think theology can make people proud and distant. 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 says that “knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” I think that with any good gift, including knowledge, we as sinful human beings have the ability and innate depravity to turn any gift of the spirit into something that is self-focused. Spirit-given knowledge is a gift that, when shared through us by the Spirit, is a beautiful, edifying, and God-glorifying tool. Used outside of the Spirit, it puffs one up, makes him arrogant and proud of his own ability, and he uses his “gift” as a tool against people to justify his authority and inflate his egotism. When we put TOO much emphasis on studying every minute detail of Scripture without asking the Spirit to teach and guide our studies or asking for love to prevail as we share it, we run the risk of tainting the gospel, the exact opposite effect of what we are hoping.
Third, I find that people who put too much stock in theology, especially in someone else’s interpretation of Scripture, often identify themselves with a label or a person rather than with the Word of God and our Savior. I think we see this a lot with denominations and ways of thinking. I understand the necessity of denominations as they are, at the root, simply ways we worship in response to how God made us to think, and within certain bounds, I think most Protestant Christian denominations are simply varying on mechanics. However, nothing breaks my heart more than to see believers who trust in the same God and whose view of salvation is ultimately the same argue and put up walls to each other over how we do corporate worship. I think that’s sad, and I think God made us to worship differently because He made us differently. He said that His worshippers must worship in Spirit and in truth- that’s the bounds. If you’re doing just that, then it shouldn’t matter what your service looks like. Outside of denominations, I think we see more often today the ascription to a certain theologian over another. It’s human nature to side with certain viewpoints as they pertain to your own, but why do we feel the need to call ourselves “Calvinists” or “Armenianists” instead of “Christ-followers?” Isn’t Christ the ONLY man we should want to identify with? Why set our sights on anything less than our Savior? I value the work of such theologians, and their Spirit-led understanding of Scripture has helped us SO much as we seek to understand the meat of the Word. However, nothing gets under my skin more than hearing debates and arguments among Christians over how many “points” of a Calvinist they are- he was just a man and his “points” aren’t anywhere in Scripture! I bet Calvin himself would have balked at the way people treat his teachings these days! Maybe this is something I see more of in a college town surrounded by college students who are in their academic prime and who have time to read all of these books, but chances are this is an issue in your church as well.
These are simply my thoughts and takes on how we treat theology and not theology itself. I suppose it has a lot to do with the way God fashioned me- He didn’t give me a hunger and thirst for knowledge in that way. Seeking knowledge is often something I have to pray for. I’m in no way knocking theology, rather I’m just asking for us to determine what our motivation is in gaining knowledge- is it so you can assert your “spirituality” over others? Is it so you can engage in theological debate with your sword drawn? Do you enjoy the way big words sound as they roll off your tongue? If your motivation for seeking knowledge and studying theology is anything other than supplemental understanding of Scripture that you’ve already studied for yourself and asked God for understanding on, then maybe you’re seeking it for the wrong reasons. If your motivation for seeking knowledge isn’t wrapped up in a desire to love and be loved by God, then maybe you should put your Piper book down and spend a few minutes with your Lord asking to be transformed by His Word. If you find yourself not gaining practical application from God’s ultimate authority on your life, then you’re just playing with philosophy and not seeking Scripture as the manual for your life that it is.
I just ask you theology-loving people to put down the heady books for a second and ask for child-like faith at times. And while you do that, I’ll pray that the Lord gives me a deeper hunger for His Word that produces faith in action, an obedience that flows out of both faith and understanding.
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